Wanting Back to the Old Fashioned Way – Please help me!

G’day Almanackers,

How is your footy going?

My Bomber friend told me that he was sad to see his hero James Hird has gone from the club. I had not known about his resignation until he told me. I feel sorry to him.

Another big footy news I heard this week was two players got suspension from the western derby on Sunday. I am surprised to hear the Eagles won the game.

At Round 20, my Saints were good at the first half at the game against the North last Saturday but bad at the last half. It was very sad for me.

Changing the topic, I really appreciate the modern technology. Without the internet, my writing would not be read by the public here or I would not be able to be in touch with friends from other parts of the world.

But as I am working for small Japanese inns, we see many people booked online and then cancelled easy (we take online bookings through booking sites).

When I deal with this kind of process, I get stressed and frustrated. So many people are dishonest and disloyal (opposed to many St Kilda players and fans).

What makes me feeling worse (acting like Mick Malthouse and Ross Lyon) is how these accoomodation booking sites deal with our enquries of booking issues including contacting selfish people (those who booked our rooms on the booking sites but informed us to cancel). Actually due to the IT system, we are unable to cancel these bookings for these stupid and selfish people.

Remembering this issue, now I am feeling like angry Alastair Clarkson. Punching the hole at the MCG coaching box (for me the earth at the back yard) and yelling to the junior footy umpire (for me the target of my hatred Agoda site’s manager; and indeed I would drop off the F-words).

Opposed to these arrogant booking sites, guests booked through travel agencies are so great. They are friendly and warm and give us positive feedback. I am very happy to serve wonderful guests.

Using metaphor, my preference is seeing paper on current match’s analysis rather than using iPad. Like Alan Richardson sees piles of papers to check analysis of our games versus Ross Lyon uses iPad to check data to make orders to his players at the field.

So I want to occupy our rooms by taking bookings from travel agencies (through people) rather than cold technology based automatic bookings (through online sites).

Even we have to communicate with travel agencies by emails (because our valuable travel agencies are located in the other side of the world), I like travel agencies.

Advising me information of a travel agency and a person in charge would be much appreciated. Travel agencies are no matter if you are currently working, if your family or friend is working, or if you are their customer. I would love to contact them.

Indeed we will welcome your bookings by emailing us at [email protected] and [email protected]. If you just send an email to any of those email addresses, someone else might respond. So please include “To Yoshi” in the subject, and sentences like “I found this accommodation from Yoshi, so please pass this email to Yoshi” in the body.

If you know an appropriate staff member at St Kilda Football Club to discuss about travel, can you please provide me details. I would like to feature our accommodation to St Kilda supporters and staff members at the club including players and coaches.

Like “I need your love” in an Ellie Goulding song, I need your help (and travel agencies’ great help).

Thank you so much!

About Yoshihiro Imagawa

Love, passion and pride are seen on the footy that is the biggest part of my life. 1. St Kilda Club member: I am a passionate and crazy Sainter. Just hope we will win the second flag soon, especially after Dogs and Tigers having ended long premiership draughts. 2. The Osaka Dingoes Player and Public Relations Officer: Player number 44 that I chose to honour Stephen Milne with my wish being like a small forward like him. Lenny Hayes' hardworking attitudes are adopted on my trainings and practices. Nick Riewoldt's great plays are in my player audiobook too. 3. Writing: Here on the Almanac and also on the World Footy News. My skills utilise on great footy websites.

Comments

  1. Earl O'Neill says

    It cuts both ways Yoshi. I booked online once, was told at checkout that the payment wasn’t received and threatened with violence if I didn’t pay in cash. Fortunately I only stay at cheap hotels.

  2. G’day Earl.

    Thanks for your comment telling your experience. In my opinion, online accommodation booking sites have been designed for big hotels. These sires require customers to provide credit card details to guarantee the booking.

    We do not accept a credit card for payment and there is information about payment on their sites and confirmation emails. But sadly it is not on the top so customers seem to miss.

    This is one of reasons I do not like the online booking sites. The biggest reasons why I hate them are a) their handling with issues is terrible, and b) they do not charge people who book a room and then cancel and instead they charge us a lot of commission.

    For example, if we buy a train ticket in Japan, we have to pay cancellation fees if we cancel the train. We should charge people who book and then cancel for commission. It is unfair that loyal guests have to cover such expenses for such people (in realty some of them are very silly).

    To keep fairness, I prefer to take bookings through our websites or through travel agencies or people’s networks.

    Cheers

    Yoshi

Leave a Comment

*